Three North Texas tutoring firms submitted fraudulent bills to the Garland and San Antonio school districts, according to state investigations.

Diverse Learning, Avenue Academy and Boost Academy billed both districts for tutoring low-income students, but the tutoring never took place, investigations by the Texas Education Agency found.

The agency has referred the cases to the U.S. Department of Education.

A lawyer for Diverse Learning said the company is contesting the state’s findings. Academy and Boost officials did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The Dallas Independent School District has also had complaints about those three companies, and several others.

Last month, the Texas Education Agency booted Avenue Academy and Boost Academy from its approved list, citing other violations. Both businesses list the same address in Hurst. On April 4, the state removed Diverse Learning, a related company. Also recently removed was a Coppell firm called 1 to 1 Computer Tutoring.

Those businesses may reapply to get back on the state list this fall. Some school district leaders object.

“What we want is the ability to permanently remove companies from the list that have a history of fraud,” said Leslie Price, a San Antonio ISD spokeswoman.

She said the San Antonio school district spends a lot of time and money documenting problems with tutoring companies, only to have them potentially remain in business.

“There is a serious problem here,” Price said. “Students are not getting the services they need, and monies are not being used in the best way.”

As a state entity, the education agency cannot prevent companies from reapplying, spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said. But the agency will consider prior sanctions when reviewing applications.

In the state report concerning San Antonio ISD, the owner of 1 to 1 Computer Tutoring acknowledged the company had overbilled and said it fired the employee who was responsible. Avenue Academy also faulted employees and said it had beefed up supervision. And Boost Academy said the tutoring in question did take place.

San Antonio ISD filed a complaint in February. The allegation: Avenue, Boost, Diverse Learning and three other tutoring firms sought $280,000 for tutoring that never took place.

A district investigation found cases where students were asked to sign blank forms to receive tutoring, along with a free “learning tool” like a tablet or laptop computer. District officials said students told them they received little or no tutoring, and not on the dates or times the companies claimed.

Garland ISD lodged similar complaints against Avenue, Boost and Diverse Learning in February. Officials there said students were told to sign their names several times, often with different dates and times. But they weren’t tutored. The district contested $14,328 worth of bills from the companies.

Diverse charges $80 to tutor one student for an hour. Avenue and Boost charge $70.

Diverse Learning was among Texas’ top tutoring providers in 2011-12. It received more than $2.1 million for working with 2,200 students. Dallas ISD has also accused the company of submitting phony invoices. Last year Diverse Learning sued DISD, saying it refused to pay $1.4 million for legitimate tutoring services.

The tutoring program is required under the No Child Left Behind federal law. Poor students in struggling schools are eligible for free tutoring in math and reading. Parents pick a company from the state list, then the company bills the school district.

Complaints have mounted against the tutoring program, also called supplemental educational services, in recent years. The state’s education chief wants to make participation voluntary. The U.S. Department of Education would have to grant approval, and it’s made no decision yet.

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